Intel keeps its lead in personal computer processing power with the release of its Intel 4th Generation Core i7-4770K 3.5 GHz processor. This is the company’s flagship quad core chip, for enthusiasts, which in many ways has a trickle-down effect on more affordable PC/laptop/hybrids consumers shop for.
By default the new processor runs at 3.5 GHz but with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 it automatically overclocks (speeds up) itself to 3.9 GHz, for larger application workloads from productivity to entertainment.
Typically that would range from running a huge Excel to converting a full HD video shot from today’s smartphone cameras to a smaller manageable file for sharing online.
Today personal computers are for work and play so I wanted to see just much faster this 4th gen processor is over last year’s 3rd gen chip.
For work type of applications like Office and or working with large picture files handled by the CPU, I noticed small incremental improvements. A large MonteCarloBlackScholesOptionPricing Excel file Intel had provided us testers a few years back, was only =five per cent faster while a Photoshop test changing a file with different effects in rapid succession was nine per cent faster.
But the new hip’s GPU duties were improved much more over last year. I found in using special benchmarking program 3DMark Pro from Futuremark.com, there was a 42 per cent improvement in a demanding game (Fire Strike) while encoding (converting) video files in the newest Intel supplied Cyberlink Media Espresso showed a 39 per cent improvement in getting the job done faster. This thanks to Intel’s Quick Sync Video Technology.
One new Intel feature for folks wanting to hook up their PC to a quad resolution HD TV Intel’s 4K HDTV capability and an almost 2x improvement in 3D game graphics.
Still, I don’t think someone who bought a 3rd Gen PC last year will want to rush out for the 4th Gen version, despite the fact it has 18 per cent more transistors at 1.8 billion, yes count them.
While wehands-on tech scribes review the annual incrementally faster computer processors, if you have a four year old Intel Core 2 Duo processor laptop, as noted by Intel PR Manager Dan Snyder, a new Ultrabook mid level 4th Gen Intel Core i5 with Iris graphics will be almost half as thin and half the weight. It would convert video 17 times faster and have 25 faster visual graphics performance.
If you get confused over all these Intel generation chips, keep this simple guide in mind: Intel 2rd Generation processors have HD 3000 graphics (that shows up in the computer’s system information) while Intel 3rd Generation chips have HD 4000 graphics and the Intel 4th Generation processors have HD 4600 graphics.
When combined with Intel’s desktop motherboard DZ87KLT-75K, the new Intel 4th Generation Core i7-4770K 3.5 GHz processor becomes the equivalent of turbo charging every part of your car. The two work in tandem for not just being faster than last year’s 3rd Generation 3770K 3.5 GHz Core i7 processor but also pushing the limits on overclocking (speeding up the frequency) of the CPU (general processing) GPU (graphics performance including video handling) and the system’s RAM memory. I used Kingston’s Hyperx/fb-dimm 2400MHz 16GB kit that let me overclock the RAM from the standard 1333MHz to almost 2400MHz. I was able to overclock this 4th Generation evaluation system to just under 4.5 GHz before my test PC became unstable. I know I know…too geeky. It is what it is!
It should be noted that unless you are buying a pricey gaming laptop, most of today’s laptops and hybrid tablets running Windows 8 with 4th Gen Intel chips are not as fast as similar desktop models. They are still faster than last year’s 3rd Gen batch but can’t keep up with their desktop counterpart, as lower power/voltage requirements for battery life and heating issues call for more frugal chips.
Intel is using the better 4th Gen graphics performance under the Iris brand, so look for that in better quality Windows 8 portables.
For more info got to www.Intel.com.
Comments